Cigar lighter



Marsh 8 276 O. c. DENNIS CIGAR LIGHTER Filed A pril v, 1926 PatentedMar. 8, 1927.

OLIVER C. DENNIS; OF WILMET-TE, ILLINOIS.

CIGAR LIGHTER Application filed April 7,

This invention relates to electric cigar lighters.

One object ofthe invention. is to provide av lighter of this type whichis simplev in construction and whichis adaptedto beproducedinlargequantities at a. very low cost.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lighter of this'typewhich is composed of comparatively few-parts andwhich may be quickly andreadily assembled for use.

@ther objects of the invention. will appear from the'detail description.

The. invention consists. in the several novel features hereinafter setforth and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a perspective" of: aportion of the panel of avehicle on which. the instrument and accessories are usually mounted,the invention being shown thereoin Fig. 2v is at side elevation of thelighter. Fig; 3 is. a perspective of the unitary upport. which isadaptedto fit into -the2casing; Fig.- l-is alongitudinal section. Fig. 5 is;azview showing; the severalparts in the. course of assembling;- Fig. 6.is. a section on line 66 of Fig; 4. Fig. 7- is a plan.

Thesinvention is-e-Xemplified in a device comprising a tubularsheet-metal casing 16 which .hasone of its ends open. and its other end11 turned inwardly to form. a: flange which hasa hole-12therein for the.conduc- Y torlwires. A member ldeof suitable insulate in'g:materiahsuchas lava, and formedv of. a single. 131966,.19 adapted tobeinserted into the tubular casing and to support,.in properly. connectedrelation, the resistance 1 element andzthe switch for controlling thecircuit through said element. Supporting member; lt is adapted to. bein'serted through the. open end of'the casing lOandcomprises acylindrical head 15, which fits into and closesthe open end of; thecasing; and an integral: shank 16,. which is adaptedzto extendintothelcasingandlis narrowed so as to. leave spaces in the casing: for: theswitch anditheconductor wires A countersink or recess 17 is: formed.inthe outer; face of electrically connected to a hollow rivet 20 whichextends transversely through and is tained with the casing.

1926: Serial No. 100,219..

fixed in the shank 16 of the support 14'. The other end of resistanceelement 18 is connected by a portion 21 which extends through the headto a hollow rivet 22 which extends through and is fastened to the shank16 above therivet 20. ()ne of. the conductor wires 23 has its end fixedunder one of the flanges of the rivet -and the other conductor wire 24has-one of its ends riveted under one of the flanges of a hollow rivet25 which extends through theshank- 16 and through one end of. aresilient switch str p 26. The other end 27 of the switch strip isnormally spaced from the rivet 22 and is adapted to be flexed intocontact with said rivet to complete the electric circuit for theoperation of the resistance element. The lower end 28 of the strip 26'is bent under he lower end of the shank 16 to lock the strip againstrotation.

A button 29 isheld in a hole 30 formed in one side ofthe casing. 10 andis provided at its inner end with an. enlargement or head 31 whichcauses the button to be re Switch strip 26 presses the'button 29outwardly so that no separate spring is necessary for retracting thebutton. A crossrib32 is formed on one of the side faces of shank 16adjacent the inner end of the button. 31. to serve asan abutn'ient for.resilient strip 26 which will prevent excessivev pressure of the button29 froindistorting the resilient strip 26.

The conductors 23 and24 extend through a cupsha.ped washer 3 twhich isadapted to .be inserted through the openend of casing 10 andslippeddownwardly into position to close the hole 12 in the casing. Thecondiictor wires are threaded throughan opening 35 inthe washer 34, andthelatter is preferably formed ofinsulating. material. The casing isformed with an annular out-turned head 36 whichserves asa stopto-prevent the casing from slipping from the fingers when the lighter isbeing used. An annular grooveST is formed in the outer periphery of. thehead. 15, so that by indenting-the casing. at one point, as at 38,toenter said groove, the supportingmember. 14: will be retained againstaxial movement in the..casing 10. A longitudinal groove 39 is formed inthe outer periphery of head 15 between groove 37 and the lower end ofthe head, andthe casing 10 is indented, as at 40, to enter. said grooveto'secure the member lt against rotation in the casing, so that theswitch strip 26 will remain in engagement with the button 29.

In assembling the device, the resistance element is placed in positionin the member 1%, its terminal .21 is extended under one of the flangesof the rivet 22, and the latter is then pressed into position; the otherend 19 of the resistance element and the terminal of conductor 28 aresecured in connected relation' by fastening the rivet 20 in the shank16; the switch strip 26 and the terminal of conductor 24 are then fixedto the member let by fastening said rivet in the shank 16; the member14:, with the resistance element, switch strip and conductors connectedthereto, is then inserted into the casing 10, button 29 being held inopening 30 and the switch-strip being aligned with the button duringinsertion, so that the button will be held in the casing by said strip.The casing is then indented at 38 and 40, and thereupon the entiredevice will be assembled.

The lighter is adapted to be held by asimple form of clip 41 which maybe secured to the dashboard or any other suitable support. To operatethe lighter, it is only necessary to press the button 29 which willcomplete the circuit through the resistance element 18. When the buttonis released, the switch 26 will open and the circuit will be. broken.

The invention exemplifies a cigar lighter, which is simple inconstruction; in which all of the electrical connections are mounted on,and made to, a unitary member which is adapted to be inserted intocasing after the connections have been made; in which the tubular casingmay be formed of sheet metal; in which the resilient switch-member holdsthe operating button in place and retracts it; in which the support isprovided with an abutment for preventing distortion of the spring; inwhich the electrical connections are made by means of rivets fastened inthe supporting member, and which makes it possible to easily assemblethe device and at a low cost.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details setforth, since these may be modified within the scope of the appendedclaims, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a. cigar lighter, the combination of a tubular casing having oneor" its ends open, a supporting member of non-conducting materialadapted to be inserted into and secured in the casing, comprising a headfitting in the open end of the casing, and a reduced shank, a resistanceelement mounted on the outer end of the head, rivets extending throughthe shank and to which the terminals of the resistance element arerespectively connected, flexible conductors extending through and intothe casing, one of which is connected to one of the rivets, a springswitch mounted on the shank, connected to the other conductor andadapted to contact with one of the rivets, and a button movable in thecasing to shift the strip to close the circuitthrough the resistanceelcment.

2. In a cigar lighter, the combination of a tubular casing having one ofits ends open, a supporting member of non-conducting material adapted tobe insertedinto and secured in the casing and comprising a head fittingin and closing the open end of the casing, and an integral reducedshank, a resistance element mounted on the outer end of the head, a pairof rivets extending through the shank and to which the terminals or" theresistance element are respectively connected, conductors extendingthrough the other end of the casing, one of which is connected to one ofthe rivets, a spring switch strip mounted on the shank so as to bemovable into contact with the rivet to which said conductor isconnected, a rivet for securing the switch strip to the shank and towhich the other conductor is connected, and a button movably held in thewall of the casing to operate the strip to close the circuit through theresistance element.

3. Ina cigar lighter, the combination of a tubular casing having one ofits ends open, a supporting member of non-conducting material adapted tobe inserted into and secured in the casing and comprising a head fittingin and closing the open end of the casing, and an integral shank, apairof resistance elements mounted at the outer end of the head, rivetsextending through the shank and to which the terminals of the resistanceelements are respectively connected, conductors extending through andinto the other end of the casing, one of which is connected to one ofthe rivets, a switch strip mounted on the shank and adaptedto contactwith the rivet to which said conductor is connected and to which theother conductor is connected, and a-button slidable in the wall of thecasingto operate the strip 1 to close the circuit through the resistanceelements, and insertable into the wall from the inside of the casingand'having a stop on the inside of the casing, the strip being adaptedto hold the button in said wall.

4. In a cigar lighter, he combination of a tubular casing having oneofits ends open,

a supporting member of non-conducting material adapted to be insertedinto andsecured in the casing and comprising a head fitting in andclosing the'open end of the casing, and an integral shank, a resistanceelement mounted at the outer end of the head, a pair of rivets extendingthrough the shank and to which the terminals ofthe resistance elementare respectively connected,

conductors extending through the casing, one of which is connected toone of the rivets, a switch strip to which the other conductor isconnected, mounted on the shank to contact with the rivet to which saidconductor is connected, an integral projecting stop rib on the shank toprevent excessive movement of the strip, and a button movable in thecasing to operate the strip to close the circuit through the resistanceelement.

5. In a cigar lighter, the combination of a tubular casing having one ofits ends open, a supporting member of non-conducting material adapted tobe inserted into and secured in the casing and comprising a head fittingin and closing the open end of the casing, and a shank, a resistanceelement mounted at the outer end of the head, an annular groove in thehead, an indentation in the casing extending into said groove to holdthe head in the casing, rivets extending through the shank and to whichthe terminals of the resistance element are connected, conductorsextending through and into the casing, one of which is connected to oneof the rivets, a resilient switch strip mounted on the shank to contactwith one of the rivets, and a button movable in the casing and adaptedto operate the strip to close the circuit through the resistanceelement.

6. In a cigar lighter, the combination of a tubular casing having one ofits ends open, a supporting member of non-conducting material adapted tobe inserted into and se cured in the casing and comprising a headfitting in and closing the open end of the casing, and a shank, aresistance element mounted at the outer end of the head, an annulargroove in the head, an indentation in the casing extending into saidgroove to hold the head in the casing, a horizontal groove in theperiphery of the head, an indentation in the casing extending into saidlongitudinal groove to hold the head against rotation, rivets extendingthrough the shank and to which the terminals of the resistance elementare connected, conductors extending through and into the other end ofthe casing, one or" which is connected to one of the rivets, a switchstrip mounted on the shank and adapted to contact with one of therivets, and a button movable in the casing to operate the strip to closethe circuit through the resistance element.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 2nd day of April, 1926.

OLIVER G. DENNIS.

